Most parents dont have the time to tell their kids what to wear in school. The only people you can blame for this, is the parents. If you have kids, its your responsibility.

School is a place to learn first, and socialize second. It is a place of business. Uniforms reinforce this concept, which I believe to be the right concept.

Finally, American public schools are underperforming in many areas. This has great implications for the future of the US. If we dont find better ways to educate students, they will not go to college, and become productive for the future economy. American students are competing with people from China and India, which have cultures that emphasize education more than in America. Taking this extra competition, the rising American debt, and an aging baby boomer population into account, these kids will have alot to pay for. This requires them to be the better educated than Indian and Chinese students, so they can be more productive, and make more money in the global economy. I find this to be the real American national security issue.

Learning requires focus and discipline. School uniforms help with that. Also, are we really violating the first amendment with this? They are free to wear whatever they want outside of school. Many government institutions have dress codes for grownups, is that a violation? We dont allow people to drink until they are 21. We dont allow them to vote until they are 18. We dont allow kids to drive until they are 16. There are many policies for kids, that are out there to help them, and preserve society. I see this issue almost like the drinking age. If kids were taught by their parents from an early age to respect alcohol, then they would not need such a law. However, parents dont, so the law is in place.

Some may say that school uniforms stymy (spelling) the students ability to be creative. Thats ok, but we want to direct this creativity to more meaningful things like science and math, where American students are underachieving.

Also, considering what is in American culture, especially in the inner cities with gangsta rap, discipline is definately a good thing.

I always remember what my father says.

Dress for success. That applies to everyone.

As for students of different cultures or religions like islam, they are conservative dressers anyways. We can easily accomodate a headscarf or turbin.

I also feel that at many public schools the clothing should be free along with the education. This seems outrageous at first, and would certainly raise the cost of an already difficult to afford educational system, but it already happens in public institutions. In the military, soldiers are issued uniforms. The public pays for all of these uniforms. Also, many schools receive private sponsorships for their athletic programs. Most of these free uniforms could be sponsored by private companies or Non-profit organizations.

Carey's response about middle school students is valid, and brings up a potential solution to much of this bickering. Progressive uniforms. Elementary students can have one type of uniform, middle school students can have another type of uniform, and high school students can have yet another uniform. Perhaps the high school students could submit design ideas for their uniform each year so they have a better sense of self expression.

One negative aspect of uniforms that should be discussed is the cultural implication of enforcing a uniform. Not every American student is an American. Many people in large American cities attend schools here, but are not really from here. Imposing our cultural standards on people from other cultures has gotten Westerners into a lot of trouble and has earned us great disfavor with people from other nations and cultures. Western culture continues to grow and dominate other cultures as globalization takes root and grows. Imposing uniforms on our youth also imposes a set of cultural choices on them. This imposition says that T-shirts, Polos, Oxfords, knit sweaters, etc are 'more standard' than tank tops, hoodies, kilts, saris, turbans, and anything else a youth might wear. We (westerners) continue to disregard the cultural implications of our choices. If we decide to mandate a particular uniform we will ultimately be using the state to sponsor a very particular culture… probably some representation of the Western semi-formal business culture. State sponsored culture is not state sponsored religion, but in many cases the two are very close.

I think that this question is a good one, and addressing it with some serious could really benefit any state or our whole nation, but I think that we need to look at some of the side issues with a lot of respect. Ultimately, it would seem wise to find out what the positives and negatives of any solution are and then try to get as many positives from the solution as possible while avoiding the negative ramifications that stem from the solution.

A previous poster mentioned that kids will find something else to tease each other about - this is true kids will tease each other about anything and everything! But why not take away a huge source of teasing and distraction?

Uniforms don't have to be plaid skirts and knee socks. In fact I don't know of any local schools with cheerleader like uniforms for girls. A school in the Erie area (Harbor Creek) adopted a uniform policy that seems pretty relaxed. Teachers wear uniforms too!

Problems like the serious socioeconomic gap that exists in American society can't be swept under the carpet by uniforms.

I'm not sure it's sweeping anything under the carpet. I don't know where you live, but from what I've seen here (I have no factual evidence, these are personal observations) in New York City the most economically disadvantaged kids tend to show up at school with the most expensive clothes and shoes (just as even the poorest areas seem to have some of the most expensive cars and SUVs parked in the streets - it makes no sense, but it's reality). For example, they'll laugh and make fun of people who buy shoes at Payless, even though with the absurdly low wages their parent(s) are making that's exactly where they should be shopping. Instead, their parents buy them the latest $200 sneakers. If a school uniform policy can reduce this irresponsible spending (all in the name of maintaining some perceived form of social "status"), then that will automatically help close the socioeconomic gap. This certainly isn't "the" solution to the problem, but it might be a good place to start.

(Of course, the policy would have to actually be enforced. I brought up NYC as an example but those schools that do have a uniform policy simply don't enforce it, so some kids wear uniforms and others don't. That's not very useful either.)

I'm aware of studies, and I am equally aware of studies going the opposite direction. (1) I am not really concerned with either. Whether or not uniforms are effective in covering up the problem is not particularly important to me.

Even if uniforms can conceal the problem, it will still be there. Maybe kids won't get beaten up at school. Maybe the fighting will be more subtle. Maybe it will go away for a few years, and come back again later.

Problems like the serious socioeconomic gap that exists in American society can't be swept under the carpet by uniforms. In all seriousness, I think you're deluding yourself if you believe it.

Finally, I resent the accusation of being irresponsible. Since when is defending the rights of residents of this country to dress as they please irresponsible? We must have very different definitions of the word...

The freedom of an entire country has everything to do with a person's right to act as they see fit. It is the government's perogative to limit that right only when it can is in the direct public interest to do so. But that is not the case with uniforms. They might buy some temporary safety, but they will not solve the problem long-term. And when they don't, you have taken away a right of the American people to what purpose?

(1) The first source I could find:
David L. Brunsma, D.L. and Rockquemore, K.A. (1998) Effects of Student Uniforms on Attendance, Behavior Problems, Substance Abuse, and Academic Achievement, The Journal of Education Research Volume 92, Number 1, Sept./Oct. 1998, pp. 53-62

I have a PDF copy from my college's archives. I don't want to make it publically available, but if you contact me directly I could make it available to you.

More substantively, do you really believe that it would have an enduring impact on the level of safety of the students and teachers?

Given the studies that show that it has a lasting impact, yes. I not only believe it, I know it.

The freedom of an entire country has absolutely nothing to do with a teen dressing like a slut. It's irresponsible to bring Ben Franklin into it, particularly when you've failed to answer the question for yourself.

Henceforth, if you fail to answer the question and back it up before attempting to disassemble someone else's position, you disqualify yourself from answering and your comment will be removed. At least have the balls to put your own opinion out there, particularly when asked a question.

I'm willing to sacrifice a small bit of free speech ... for the added safety of students and teachers.

Says Erik,

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

Benjamin Franklin responds.

More substantively, do you really believe that it would have an enduring impact on the level of safety of the students and teachers? There's certainly a problem of the socioeconomic gap, but covering it up doesn't make it go away. It's still there, and it will still be used to harass people, just in new and creative ways.

Are you really willing to allow the state the dictate how people should dress, just to cover up a problem that's not going to "just go away"?

Free speech, however, does not give anyone the right to harrass anyone else, and "Fuck Jesus" (or "Fuck Buddha" or "Fuck Atheists" or whatever) could probably be argued quite easily to be harrassment.

I agree that an argument can probably be made for disallowing such t-shirts in schools. But I think you're way off on claiming this could easily be considered harassment. Harassment requires more specific action to be taken on the harasser's part (for instance constantly following a Christian student around the school building and making sure they have to keep seeing the t-shirt might meet the requirement). But I can't think of a single instance of where simply wearing a t-shirt with a statement could be classified as harassment.

Want to fix this situation? Then start considering ways in which individuals are rewarded for doing the right things. In doing so you will be spending less than we currently spend on keeping criminals in jail, but achieving far more. Hey, and even the law-abiding citizens will gain, through not working their arses off for five days just to survive another week with zero recognition and a few dollars left after tax to get drunk, stoned and whatever else helps them to forget the life that could have been.